Some thoughts on Abp. Sheehan's recent comments regarding Eucharistic discipline

From Dr. Edwards Peters, distinguished Canon lawyer:

While I offer no opinion on the recent comments made by Archbishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe to the National Catholic Reporter [the unCatholic Distorter] regarding his take on inter-episcopal relations (that's between arch/bishops), his assertions on the canon law of Eucharistic reception are something else. In my opinion, several of Abp. Sheehan's assertions thereon are flawed. Even so, I might have let them pass, except that Sheehan, besides being an archbishop, also has a doctorate in canon law (Lateran, 1971) and thus some might incline to his views based on those credentials. So, here goes.

Read about it here

Dialogue among the Religions. The Vatican Prepares the Guidelines (Chiesa)

Enough with the ceremonies. And more conviction in proclaiming the Gospel. New signs of openness come from Saudi Arabia. Algerian philosopher Mohammed Arkoun criticizes the pope, but even more the cultural void in the Muslim world.

by Sandro Magiste

Peter Phan has been rescheduled...

St Cronan's Parish Web Site proudly displays the new schedule of the Peter Phan lecture that was recently canceled at Aquinas Institute. Now it will be held at Forest Park Community College on Friday, the 8th of February at 7:00pm.

It's nice of St Cronan's to keep the Archdiocese up-to-date on events like this.

Catholic Bishop Participates in the “seating” of California’s First Episcopal Woman Bishop

Bishop Patrick McGrath of San Jose was among those present for the official welcoming and seating on Saturday, Jan. 11 of Mary Gray-Reeves, the first woman Episcopal bishop in California. During the event, held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in San Jose, Bishop McGrath, dressed in red robes, was seated prominently behind the altar.

When California Catholic Daily asked the diocese about the appropriateness of Bishop McGrath’s participation in a non-Catholic ceremony, diocesan spokeswoman Roberta Ward downplayed McGrath’s role. “He was not a participant, and this wasn’t an ordination," said Ward. "This was an ecumenical gesture, much like when the pope does something with the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

Sorry, it's not even close to being similar to the Holy Father's meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury...Nice touch, though! Maybe some will buy that...

at Cal Catholic Daily

Californa Jesuit novices explore the length and breadth of interreligious dialogue

How far can Catholics go in “interreligious learning”? Jesuit Father Francis X. Clooney hinted at the answer to this question in a Jan. 15 posting on the internet site of America magazine, a Jesuit national weekly.

Fr. Clooney....gave a three-day seminar “on interreligious dialogue and related issues to the first year novices of the California and Oregon Provinces.”


The seminar featured, in part, the viewing of documentaries. One of the films presented was Swamiji, about the life of a French Benedictine, Henri Le Saux, who, said Clooney, “went to India in the late 1940s to help start a Catholic ashram -- a kind of monastic enclave.” However, Le Saux, said Clooney, found over a 30-year period “that he was learning and receiving far more than he could give in return...”

For Clooney, Le Saux “is an example not many can follow, but certainly makes us think about how far we can go in interreligious learning....”

Swami? God help us.

Jesuit Fr Kolvenbach:Theological dialogue with Islam 'impossible'

An excerpt from an interview by John Allen with Jesuit Father General, Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach:

On the strictly religious and theological level, is dialogue with Islam possible?

I’m afraid that at a theological and dogmatic level, dialogue with Islam is impossible. Often in Beirut, Muslims would ask me: ‘How is it possible that an educated person, a professor, believes in three gods?’ Obviously, they were referring to the Christian dogma of the Trinity. That’s an example of the difficulties of dialogue. Some who are favorable to theological dialogue with Muslims forget that at a certain point, you have to choose. For Muslims, it’s very clear: God is one. They chant it five times every day...

Cardinal Kasper's Ecumenism: Truth Above All

The complete text of the address delivered at the consistory by the president of the pontifical council for Christian unity. Good progress with the Orthodox, bad with the mainline Protestants, so-so with the "evangelicals" and Pentecostals. And meanwhile, with the Muslims...
by Sandro Magister

New Bishop fro Great Falls-Billings

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Michael W. Warfel of Juneau, U.S.A., as bishop of Great Falls-Billings (area 241,276, population 391,360, Catholics 51,629, priests 74, permanent deacons 6, religious 81), USA.

and -
- Appointed as consultors of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue:...(among several others) James Massa, secretary of the commission for ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops...

A Jewish Perspective on "Women Priests" Ordination

Enough already

Editor:

As a Jewish reader of the Review, about the only two words I could think of when I read Archbishop Burke’s column (Nov. 9) about the "ordination" of two women as Roman Catholic priests at a St. Louis synagogue were "oy veh!"

Don’t we have enough problems without "ordinating" female priests? After all, some Jews don’t even recognize female rabbis.

What could motivate Rabbi Susan Talve to intervene in a purely Catholic matter? While, like many nonCatholics I’m interested in the Roman Catholic Church and its history, short of it starting another Inquisition, its internal matters are none of my business or for that matter Rabbi Talve’s.

In the American vernacular we Jews don’t have a dog in this fight. Put into reverse context it’s as if a bishop told Jews they didn’t need to circumcise their sons to be Jewish.

The Catholic Church belongs to the Catholic community, and people who disagree with it are free not to be Catholic. Among my friends Rabbi Talve has little support on this issue.

Finally, although it’s none of my business, as an observer, I can’t understand how the two women who seek to be priests can be both Catholic and fail to submit to the authority of the Catholic Church. A Christian who does not want to submit to that authority can be described in one word — Protestant — some of whom, along with Catholics, are my best friends. I hope this recent incident doesn’t harm our friendships.

Norman Pressman
West St. Louis County

Source: St Louis Review, Letters

Funeral Prompts Forced Resignation of Priest

Baltimore's new Roman Catholic archbishop removed a priest who was pastor of three South Baltimore parishes for offenses that include officiating at a funeral Mass with an Episcopal priest, which violates canon law.

Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien personally ordered the Rev. Ray Martin, who has led the Catholic Community of South Baltimore for five years, to resign from the three churches and sign a statement yesterday apologizing for "bringing scandal to the church."

Martin led the funeral Mass on Oct. 15 for Locust Point activist Ann Shirley Doda at Our Lady of Good Counsel with several clergy, including the Rev. Annette Chappell, the pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Redemption in Locust Point, Martin said.

Do people no longer use their God-given intellects anymore? What was this priest thinking?

Sean Caine, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said this was one example of repeated administrative and liturgical offenses Martin had committed in more than a year...

Figures...another advocate of the "Do-it-yourself" Mass...

Chappell did not participate in the consecration of the Eucharist but read the Gospel at the service, Martin said. Someone at the service reported to the archdiocese that Martin gestured to Chappell to take Communion, though Martin said he did not recall doing so...

Martin, who has not been defrocked, said he has been barred from celebrating Mass publicly. He will go on an extended retreat and counseling at a monastery in Latrobe, Pa., he said.

Good for Archbishop O'Brien! No doubt, he will be subjected to ridicule from those who understand little, if anything, about the Holy Mass or about the Catholic faith - and this unfortunately includes some Catholics.

The statement Martin signed will be read at weekend Masses at the community's three parishes, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Mary's Star of the Sea and Holy Cross parishes, Martin said...

"What, are we in the Dark Ages again? This is absolutely ridiculous," [said Joyce Bauerle, a longtime friend of Shirley Doda.]

Decades of catechetical failure may be one of the reasons for such ignorance. It could also be due to an attitude of dissent, especially considering the pries was admonished before and gave such a bad example when it came to liturgical necessities...

Traditional Anglican Communion Petitions Rome for Union

The College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) recently petitioned for “full, corporate, sacramental union” with the Roman Catholic Church recently.

HT to PG for the link